"Putting the thinking cap on dullness" Thomas Bernhard today

The special exhibition at the Literature Museum focuses on a work of world literary significance. As one of Austria’s most renowned authors, Thomas Bernhard continues to polarize audiences to this day. Since 2023, his estate has been held by the Austrian National Library. The exhibition presents manuscripts, letters, and photographs from all phases of his life, as well as finds never previously displayed in public. Of particular importance is the echo of Bernhard’s work in international contemporary literature. Is his style really as easy to imitate as is sometimes claimed? The focus lies on our relationship to nature, to the body, and to the institutions that shape our lives.

Curators: Bernhard Fetz, Katharina Manojlovic

Academic consultant: Juliane Werner